Comparison

Reality Check Chess vs Chess Notation Trainer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Reality Check Chess

This app focuses on improving your chess game by presenting you with random, realistic game positions from top-level play. It helps you assess your overall playing strength beyond just tactical puzzles, offering various modes to challenge your consistency and strategic thinking.

Highlights
  • Random, realistic game positions
  • Focus on overall playing strength
  • Variety of playing modes
  • Improves consistency and strategy
  • Accurate evaluation of playing strength
Features
Read full description

REALITY CHECK CHESS - Train on real positions. Get an honest measure of your game. Tactical puzzles are fun but do they actually make you stronger? Most of your real games aren't lost to missed brilliancies. They're lost to ordinary blunders in ordinary positions. Reality Check trains you where it counts: authentic positions from top-level games, where you must find the best move — whether it's a tactic, a quiet positional improvement, or just a solid practical choice. No contrived setups. Just an honest read on how strong you really are. WHY REALITY CHECK • Train on real positions from master games - not artificial puzzles • Get a precise evaluation of your true playing strength • Build consistency in the positions you actually face • Sharpen the "normal" moves that decide most games GAME MODES • Endgame Academy - NEW! Master essential checkmates & endgame technique through guided, adaptive drills with star ratings • Masters - test yourself in positions from elite games • Tactical Racer - race the clock to find the best moves • Daily Challenges - a fresh test every day • Blunder Check - stop giving games away • Simulator & Study - analyze, learn, and play freely • Puzzles - classic tactics when you want them BUILT FOR REAL IMPROVEMENT A redesigned premium interface with smooth board animations, progress tracking, and a powerful engine for instant analysis. Get your reality checked - and become a genuinely better chess player. Premium is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/live/d53d968e-a742-4176-abbf-0a7ca662041d

About

Chess Notation Trainer

Master chess squares and notation with this training app. Improve your ability to identify coordinates, translate moves, and visualize the board, even without one. Ideal for serious players looking to enhance calculation speed and chess understanding.

Highlights
  • Identify squares by coordinate
  • Translate move sequences to notation
  • Determine square color instantly
  • Stay oriented on the board
  • Follow chess tutorials without a board
  • Speed up calculation
  • Practice blind chess
Features
Read full description

Serious about chess? But struggling to identify the squares, remembering sequences and follow chess notations? Well, you just landed on the perfect app! This training app is designed to dramatically uplift your mastery over chess squares. There are 5 training sessions. A small dose of regular practice will make you: 1. Spot a square as soon as you hear or see its coordinate 2. Translate a sequence of moves into their notation at ease 3. Immediately identify the color of a square 4. Stay oriented regardless of you facing white or black 5. Follow along with chess tutorials, books or any discussion without a board 6. Massively speedup your thought process on any calculation 7. Finally, start playing blind chess! Don't be surprised if you see a sudden surge of rating simply increasing your strength on square reading. The free version is already good enough to cause a major spike in your chess career. However, a one time purchase will unlock the full version which includes: - Extended time controls - Untimed practice mode - Milestones and achievements - Board assistance during training - And a complete visualization of your records There will be no ads, neither in the full version nor in the free one. Just a beautiful and satisfyingly addictive way to your square mastery. Caution: If you are rated below 1500, this app is probably not gonna be as useful for you, and tactics training is something you should prioritize.

Screenshots

Reality Check Chess4 screens
Chess Notation Trainer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess Notation Trainer at every 2 days against Reality Check Chess's every 6 days. Reality Check Chess's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Reality Check Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Chess Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Reality Check Chess against 4.4 for Chess Notation Trainer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 18 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reality Check Chess ships an update every 6 days, Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Reality Check Chess versus Chess Notation Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReality Check ChessChess Notation Trainer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (7 ratings)4.4 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings718 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size194 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarko MilosevicNishat Majid

Customer experience

Reality Check Chess

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Chess Notation Trainer

All ratings18 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Reality Check Chess

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Month7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Premium Year7 Days trial$59.991 Year
1 purchases

Chess Notation Trainer

One-time1
  • Full Version$4.99

Questions

Is Reality Check Chess free?
Reality Check Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Notation Trainer free?
Chess Notation Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Reality Check Chess or Chess Notation Trainer?
Reality Check Chess and Chess Notation Trainer are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7 and 18 ratings respectively.
Do Reality Check Chess or Chess Notation Trainer have ads?
Neither Reality Check Chess nor Chess Notation Trainer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reality Check Chess or Chess Notation Trainer?
Reality Check Chess ships an update every 6 days, and Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. Most recently, Reality Check Chess was updated on October 15, 2026 and Chess Notation Trainer on October 14, 2026.

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